PDP Member Moves To Remove Ned Nwoko After APC Defection, Seeks To Declare Senate Seat Vacant

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Marvis Ossai, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, urging it to declare the Delta North Senatorial seat vacant due to the defection of Senator Ned Nwoko to the All Progressives Congress (APC).……READ MORE 

Ossai, who filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/325/2025, is calling for the removal of Nwoko, who he claims defected from the party on which platform he was elected to the Senate. The plaintiff is also requesting that the court instruct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize a by-election for the Delta North Senatorial District within 60 days of the judgment.

In addition to Nwoko, the suit names INEC, the PDP, and the Senate as defendants.

Through his lawyer, Mr. Johnmary Jideobi, the plaintiff has posed a critical question for the court’s determination. Ossai is seeking the following orders:

• A ruling that mandates INEC to conduct a by-election for the Delta North Senatorial District within 60 days of the judgment.
• A declaration that Nwoko’s seat is vacant and that his Certificate of Return, issued by INEC, should be cancelled.
• An order requiring Nwoko to refund all salaries, emoluments, and allowances received from January 2025 to the date of the final judgment.
• A ruling disqualifying Nwoko from standing for any future election unless he complies with the terms of the judgment.
• An order compelling the Senate to immediately act on the court’s ruling.

In an affidavit submitted to the court by Ibrahim Isa, the plaintiff explained that Nwoko resigned from the PDP on January 30, 2025, despite being elected to represent the Delta North Senatorial District under the PDP until 2027.

Ossai, a resident of Oshimili North in Delta North, emphasized that Nwoko’s continued stay in office after his defection violates the Nigerian constitution.

He further argued that Nwoko’s switch to the APC was a direct contradiction to the political philosophy of the PDP, which he believes the people of Delta North voted for. The plaintiff contends that the defection undermines the credibility of the electoral process and encourages political instability and opportunism.

Ossai stated that if Nwoko remains in office, it would be detrimental to the interests of the PDP supporters who elected him on the basis of the party’s manifesto.

The suit is currently awaiting assignment to a judge for hearing.